Ashley Cole has opened up on his enduring bond with the former Chelsea manager he credits for saving his mental health, admitting that while the Blues have had plenty of world-class coaches, only one ‘amazing’ figure truly understood the human being behind the player.
Ashley Cole’s eight-year tenure at Chelsea turned him into arguably the greatest left-back in Premier League history. Joining from Arsenal in 2006, he became a key part of the club’s most successful era, making 338 appearances.
The Englishman won eight major trophies, including the Premier League, four FA Cups, and the Champions League. And his remarkable consistency earned him two Chelsea Players’ Player of the Year awards and a legendary status at Stamford Bridge.
And for those who have been debating where Ashley Cole was at his best, former Chelsea teammate John Terry believes he played his best at Stamford Bridge.
But rather than speaking about himself, he’s been hailing Carlo Ancelotti.
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Ashley Cole had a special bond with Carlo Ancelotti
Ashley Cole appeared 83 times under Carlo Ancelotti, which was the second most of any coach in his career, behind Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
And it seems as if he has plenty of positive memories working with the Italian, despite the 66-year-old only being at Chelsea for around two years.
Speaking on Could It Be Magic? podcast, Ashley Cole shared just how much Ancelotti helped him through some tough times.
“He was amazing to play under. Just be around, he was like a good human. You know what I mean?
“And he treated you like a human. I think we all have like people that affect our lives in some way or help us through something. And it was a period where he was the one that helped me through my sh-t that was going on.
“So that’s why I just more of a bond with him. And great understanding of people we had. So that was my relationship with him”
Starting to think Jamie Carragher has a point…😬
Jamie Carragher on Liam Delap
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Carlo Ancelotti’s time at Chelsea
Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure at Chelsea is remembered as a brief but brilliant era of high-scoring, attacking football. In his debut season, he led the club to its first-ever Premier League and FA Cup Double, clinching the title with a record-breaking 8-0 win over Wigan.
Interestingly, Chelsea became the first Premier League team to score over 100 goals in a season under his guidance at Stamford Bridge.
Despite his popularity and a 61% win rate, the third-best in league history at the time, Ancelotti was ruthlessly sacked in the tunnel at Goodison Park just minutes after the final game of his second season.
This came after a mid-season slump and a quarter-final Champions League exit to Manchester United ultimately cost him his job, hence why Ashley Cole may feel he had unfinished business.
Evene Enzo Maresca thought Ancelotti was ‘fantastic’.
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